More than 30 people were at Tallahatchie Tavern on Thursday night to throw their support behind the goals and mission of the Boy Scouts.
They were attending the Friends of Scouting fish fry and social, the group’s annual fundraiser.
Dr. John Fair Lucas III, a Scoutmaster and executive board member, told the crowd that $32,000 had been raised as a result of the event. That still leaves a shortfall of $14,000 from the group’s goal.
John Montfort Jones, Malmaison District executive, said the district, which covers Leflore, Carroll, Grenada, Tallahatchie and Montgomery counties, is doing well.
“We had a great, great year in 2011. We had 915 total youth in the whole district,” he said.
Those numbers included 737 Boy Scouts, 137 Cub Scouts and 14 Venture crews.
Scouts — and Scout units — are in every school in Leflore County. More importantly, 63 percent of the district’s Cub Scouts came from Leflore County, he said.
Jones said a large percentage of the funds raised at Thursday’s event will stay in the county since other Friends of Scouting events are taking place throughout the district.
Lucas’ father, Dr. John Fair Lucas Jr., said his son took to Scouting early on.
“I never got past Tenderfoot. In fact, I never got Tenderfoot,” he said. “I passed the test three times, but I never had a registration card, so they never gave me the Tenderfoot badge. I had to follow him through. Dr. Reed Carroll was his mentor.”
Solon Scott Jr., owner of Scott Petroleum and a former Scout, said Scouting helps children get along with one another.
“I think it’s a great training for children ... for leadership and all the things it puts out,” he said.
Jones said in the past year eight Scouts attained the rank of Eagle Scout and 327 merit badges were earned in 2011 compared to 112 in 2010.
He said 219 of those merit badges were earned by Scouts in Leflore County.
“Without all of our volunteers and without the financial support of all you, we wouldn’t be able to offer the programs that we have,” Jones said.
Luther Wade, another former scout, served as chairman of the event. He said he took on the job because he wanted wanted to help Greenwood attorney and friend Moss Melton.
“Moss asked me to kind of help out and recruit some younger people to come out here. Here we are,” Wade said.
Randy Hunt cooked the catfish, and Alan Jones provided the musical entertainment.
• Contact Bob Darden at 581-7239 or bdarden@gwcommonwealth.com.
